diff --git a/boot/bootutil/src/loader.c b/boot/bootutil/src/loader.c
index 06463a8b..4b8a3a20 100644
--- a/boot/bootutil/src/loader.c
+++ b/boot/bootutil/src/loader.c
@@ -510,6 +510,42 @@ boot_check_header_erased(struct boot_loader_state *state, int slot)
     return 0;
 }
 
+#if (BOOT_IMAGE_NUMBER > 1) || \
+    (defined(MCUBOOT_OVERWRITE_ONLY) && defined(MCUBOOT_DOWNGRADE_PREVENTION))
+/**
+ * Check if the version of the image is not older than required.
+ *
+ * @param req         Required minimal image version.
+ * @param ver         Version of the image to be checked.
+ *
+ * @return            0 if the version is sufficient, nonzero otherwise.
+ */
+static int
+boot_is_version_sufficient(struct image_version *req,
+                           struct image_version *ver)
+{
+    if (ver->iv_major > req->iv_major) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (ver->iv_major < req->iv_major) {
+        return BOOT_EBADVERSION;
+    }
+    /* The major version numbers are equal. */
+    if (ver->iv_minor > req->iv_minor) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    if (ver->iv_minor < req->iv_minor) {
+        return BOOT_EBADVERSION;
+    }
+    /* The minor version numbers are equal. */
+    if (ver->iv_revision < req->iv_revision) {
+        return BOOT_EBADVERSION;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Check that there is a valid image in a slot
  *
@@ -541,6 +577,24 @@ boot_validate_slot(struct boot_loader_state *state, int slot,
         goto out;
     }
 
+#if defined(MCUBOOT_OVERWRITE_ONLY) && defined(MCUBOOT_DOWNGRADE_PREVENTION)
+    if (slot != BOOT_PRIMARY_SLOT) {
+        /* Check if version of secondary slot is sufficient */
+        rc = boot_is_version_sufficient(
+                &boot_img_hdr(state, BOOT_PRIMARY_SLOT)->ih_ver,
+                &boot_img_hdr(state, BOOT_SECONDARY_SLOT)->ih_ver);
+        if (rc != 0 && boot_check_header_erased(state, BOOT_PRIMARY_SLOT)) {
+            BOOT_LOG_ERR("insufficient version in secondary slot");
+            flash_area_erase(fap, 0, fap->fa_size);
+            /* Image in the secondary slot does not satisfy version requirement.
+             * Erase the image and continue booting from the primary slot.
+             */
+            rc = 1;
+            goto out;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+
     if (!boot_is_header_valid(hdr, fap) || boot_image_check(state, hdr, fap, bs)) {
         if (slot != BOOT_PRIMARY_SLOT) {
             flash_area_erase(fap, 0, fap->fa_size);
@@ -552,7 +606,7 @@ boot_validate_slot(struct boot_loader_state *state, int slot,
         BOOT_LOG_ERR("Image in the %s slot is not valid!",
                      (slot == BOOT_PRIMARY_SLOT) ? "primary" : "secondary");
 #endif
-        rc = -1;
+        rc = 1;
         goto out;
     }
 
@@ -966,39 +1020,6 @@ boot_swap_image(struct boot_loader_state *state, struct boot_status *bs)
 #endif
 
 #if (BOOT_IMAGE_NUMBER > 1)
-/**
- * Check if the version of the image is not older than required.
- *
- * @param req         Required minimal image version.
- * @param ver         Version of the image to be checked.
- *
- * @return            0 if the version is sufficient, nonzero otherwise.
- */
-static int
-boot_is_version_sufficient(struct image_version *req,
-                           struct image_version *ver)
-{
-    if (ver->iv_major > req->iv_major) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-    if (ver->iv_major < req->iv_major) {
-        return BOOT_EBADVERSION;
-    }
-    /* The major version numbers are equal. */
-    if (ver->iv_minor > req->iv_minor) {
-        return 0;
-    }
-    if (ver->iv_minor < req->iv_minor) {
-        return BOOT_EBADVERSION;
-    }
-    /* The minor version numbers are equal. */
-    if (ver->iv_revision < req->iv_revision) {
-        return BOOT_EBADVERSION;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 /**
  * Check the image dependency whether it is satisfied and modify
  * the swap type if necessary.
diff --git a/boot/zephyr/Kconfig b/boot/zephyr/Kconfig
index 0a8f3591..c40a8cd4 100644
--- a/boot/zephyr/Kconfig
+++ b/boot/zephyr/Kconfig
@@ -346,4 +346,14 @@ config UPDATEABLE_IMAGE_NUMBER
 	help
 	  Enables support of multi image update.
 
+config MCUBOOT_DOWNGRADE_PREVENTION
+	bool "Downgrade prevention"
+	depends on BOOT_UPGRADE_ONLY
+	help
+	  Prevent downgrades by enforcing incrementing version numbers.
+	  When this option is set, any upgrade must have greater major version
+	  or greater minor version with equal major version. This mechanism
+	  only protects against some attacks against version downgrades (for
+	  example, a JTAG could be used to write an older version).
+
 source "$ZEPHYR_BASE/Kconfig.zephyr"
diff --git a/boot/zephyr/include/mcuboot_config/mcuboot_config.h b/boot/zephyr/include/mcuboot_config/mcuboot_config.h
index 0daecc73..14705d39 100644
--- a/boot/zephyr/include/mcuboot_config/mcuboot_config.h
+++ b/boot/zephyr/include/mcuboot_config/mcuboot_config.h
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@
 #define MCUBOOT_IMAGE_NUMBER    1
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_MCUBOOT_DOWNGRADE_PREVENTION
+#define MCUBOOT_DOWNGRADE_PREVENTION 1
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Enabling this option uses newer flash map APIs. This saves RAM and
  * avoids deprecated API usage.
diff --git a/docs/design.md b/docs/design.md
index 6c2bc26e..b779778f 100644
--- a/docs/design.md
+++ b/docs/design.md
@@ -942,3 +942,11 @@ state after dependency check.
 
 For more information on adding dependency entries to an image,
 see: [imgtool](imgtool.md).
+
+## [Downgrade Prevention](#downgrade-prevention)
+
+Downgrade prevention is a feature which enforces that the new image must have a
+higher version number than the image it is replacing. This feature is enabled
+with the `MCUBOOT_DOWNGRADE_PREVENTION` option. Downgrade prevention is only
+available when the overwrite-based image update strategy is used
+(i.e. `MCUBOOT_OVERWRITE_ONLY` is set).